Report: Training is needed to respond quickly to labour needs
According to a recent report, there will continue to be a clear need for projects on short-term training or retraining and upgrading of qualifications that aim to address labour shortages and the competence needs of employers. In addition to the development of the continuous learning system, it is necessary to take measures that can be used to respond quickly to changing labour needs.
The report examined the success rate and effectiveness of the implementation of projects focusing on short-term training or retraining and upgrading of qualifications that were funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Education and Culture between 2017 and 2020. The projects were implemented to address labour shortages in growth sectors and to respond to constantly developing and changing competence needs. Other reasons for organising the projects were the need for continuous upskilling, and the labour market mismatches related to the unemployment and competence of people with a higher education degree.
According to the report, most of the training projects were implemented successfully. The training was considered to be useful and of high quality. However, the study identified some areas where the implementation could be improved: student selection could be improved, sufficient guidance and support ensured, teaching organised in more tailor-made ways according to students’ needs, and employers more strongly committed to the training projects, for example.
The observations and development proposals made in the report will be taken into account in the development of a new financial instrument for continuous learning and the preparation of the reform of continuous learning. The study was conducted by MDI Public Ltd and TK Eval.
Inquiries:
Janne Savolainen, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 067 042
Päivi Bosquet, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. +358 295 330 375